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[av_heading heading=’ HIV SPREADS IN WV 1 person infected every 12 hours ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – The number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in Western Visayas is rising, latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 showed.
Now, one person is diagnosed with HIV every 12 hours. Early this year, DOH-6 said one person was diagnosed with the infection every 15 hours.
Regional Director Marlyn Convocar urged individuals with higher risks of getting infected – men having sex with men and intravenous drug users – to have themselves tested for HIV.
“They will be treated with utmost confidentiality. The laboratory is free and the medicine is free for those diagnosed to be positive of the virus,” said Convocar.
HIV is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases.
AIDS is the stage of infection that occurs when the immune system is badly damaged and one becomes vulnerable to opportunistic infections.
The age group with the highest number of HIV infections ranged from 25 to 34 years old, DOH-6 data showed.
No effective cure for HIV currently exists but with proper treatment and medical care HIV can be controlled.
The medicine used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART. If taken the right way, every day, this medicine can dramatically prolong the lives of many people with HIV, keep them healthy, and greatly lower their chance of transmitting the virus to others.
From January 1986 to May 2017, the accumulated number of HIV/AIDS case in the region reached 1,839, according to DOH.
Iloilo City remained with the most number of cases at 487 followed by Iloilo province with 338 cases, Bacolod City (332), Negros Occidental (325), Capiz (122), Aklan (117), Antique (84), and Guimaras (34).
DOH data also showed that most of the infected were males (1,714 cases). There were 125 infected females.
The surge in HIV infections has prompted the Iloilo City Health Office to come up with a “sundown clinic” named 5/11 (Singko Onse) Klinika Ilonggo at the Social Hygiene Clinic (SHC) in Barangay Tanza, City Proper.
People may have themselves tested there for HIV/AIDS infection and STI from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. – the clinic hours customized for clients with such convenient hours.
All cases at the sundown clinic or SHC are treated confidential.
Dr. Elvie Villalobos, DOH-6 infectious disease cluster head, said the most at risk populations are the homosexuals and commercial sex workers who do not use protection.
“Here in Iloilo City damu kita cases nga nag gulowa kay malapit ang treatment hub naton ukon ang laboratory naton sa Western Visayas Medical Center. May access ang taga-city kay lapit sa sila,” explained Villalobos in a previous interview.
To avoid HIV/AIDS, DOH-6 is campaigning for the following:
Villalobos spelled out the HIV/AIDS as follows:
- abstinence from sex
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be faithful (to your partner)
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consistent and correct use of condom
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do not use drugs
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early detection and education
Iloilo City recently was chosen as one of the pilot areas for an adolescent HIV campaign of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Australasian Society for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM), and Burnet Institute.
This, after City Health Officer Dr. Bernardo Caspe participated in a seminar (“Innovative approaches and technologies to reduce adolescent HIV in China, Indonesia, and Philippines) in Melbourne, Australia from June 12 to 23.
“We were one of the two invited local government units (LGU) to attend the seminar and were selected as project sites,” said Caspe. The other is Zamboanga City
Caspe said he learned three best practices of the government of Australia to prevent the spread of HIV infections – Community Rapid Testing Center, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, and Self-Testing.
How these practices could be replicated in the Philippines was discussed in the seminar.
The city government is currently doing community rapid testing through the Social Hygiene Clinic.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis is a way for people to avoid HIV by taking a pill every day.
“The concern when taking Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis is that they still have to use condom, especially men having sex with men. They can avoid HIV by taking pre-exposure prophylaxis but not gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis if they don’t wear condom,” said Caspe./PN
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